Troops of the Indian Army, along with the local police and administration, have rescued around 900 tourists who were stranded on their way to Gangtok from Nathula and Tsomgo Lake amid heavy snowfall, a defence official said.
The tourists, stuck on Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Narendra Modi Marg till late on Saturday, were moved to safety and provided warm clothes, medical aid and hot meals by the Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army, said Defence PRO Lt Colonel Mahendra Rawat.
At least 360 tourists, 142 women and 50 children, spent the night at army camps, while several others made it to Gangtok with the help of the army and the police, he explained. The defence officer also said that the roads were cleared on Sunday.
"Work to open the roads was taken up by the Army with assistance of General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) dozers. By 9 am, the road was cleared to enable the movement of vehicles. Quick reaction by troops provided relief and comfort to the stranded tourists under inclement weather conditions," he stated.
The travellers and the civil administration have expressed their deep gratitude to the Army for the prompt relief operations, the defence PRO added. The administration has stopped issuing passes for Nathula and Tsomgo Lake for now in the wake of the heavy snowfall in East Sikkim.
